Note 12 - a) Short-term debt (Detail) (USD $) In Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Financial Institutions [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	$ 6,381	$ 5,307
Non-current	17,460	10,421
Bearer bonds - Notes [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	587	583
Non-current	11,573	11,723
Suppliers [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	0	0
Non-current	5	6
Trust Certificates - Senior/Junior [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	71	70
Non-current	194	263
Other [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	2	2
Non-current	302	384
Total Abroad [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	7,041	5,962
Non-current	29,534	22,797
BNDES [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	1,269	842
Non-current	19,384	18,181
Debentures - BNDES [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	148	137
Non-current	496	518
Debentures - Other financial information [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	41	807
Non-current	931	802
FINAME - Earmarked for construction of Bolívia - Brazil gas pipeline [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	42	44
Non-current	233	58
Advance on exchange contracts (ACC) [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	22	3
Non-current		0
Export credit notes [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	66	632
Non-current	6,295	3,548
Bank credit certificate [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	32	4
Non-current	2,164	2,071
Other [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	299	0
Non-current	1,434	1,066
Total in Brazil [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	1,919	2,469
Non-current	30,937	26,244
Total short-term borrowings [Member]
Short Term Debt [Line Items]
Current	8,960	8,431
Non-current	60,471	49,041
Debt Current [Abstract]
Interest on debt	869	766
Current portion of long term debt	2,883	3,406
Current debt	5,208	4,259
Total debt	$ 8,960	$ 8,431

Name:	pbra_CurrentFinancing
Namespace Prefix:	pbra
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Name:	pbra_DebtCurrentTotal
Namespace Prefix:	pbra
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	pbra_NonCurrentFinancing
Namespace Prefix:	pbra
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the sum of short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt and capital lease obligations, which are due within one year (or one business cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtCurrentAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the portion of interest incurred in the period on debt arrangements that was charged against earnings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 5
-Section 03
-Paragraph 8

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 34
-Paragraph 21
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.8)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total of the portions of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of long-term debt, which may include notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans, and commercial paper, which are scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, and after deducting unamortized discount or premiums, if any.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 20
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19
-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration